Are you afraid to prepare a creative brief?

If you haven’t prepared a creative brief before, or are not used to working with a designer, you might not know where to start. Don’t be scared…a bit of background and a few simple tips to go along with my creative brief worksheet will save the day! Preparing the creative brief is usually a collaborative process, so don’t worry that you have to do it all on your own. But you can use my worksheet to think about the scope of your project and gather some of the information that you need to complete the creative brief together with your designer.

A creative brief is all about providing the requirements for your new project to your designer, along with some context. You will describe what you have in mind, and give information about your business, customers, and competitors, so that your designer knows how to position their work for you. You can think of your project as a problem, and that what the designer provides will be the solution.

Thinking about the past, present, and future of your business will help to provide the context that your designer needs. Knowing about your past projects, your current business climate, and what future success looks like to you will set the stage for outstanding creative work from your designer.

THE PAST What is your business? Do you have a mission statement, logo, or brand guidelines already? Do you have a long history and customer expectations? Are you a startup with a hopeful future? Do you have a well-defined idea of who your customers are? Have you collected data on your customers or your past marketing campaigns?

THE PRESENT What is your current market space? Who are your competitors? Something about the way things are now is providing an opportunity for this new project. Has something changed? What are your budget considerations?

THE FUTURE How would you like the future to be different? How do you want your customers to feel? How do you measure success? Will you test some new marketing channels?

Of course, you will want to include any inspiration or great ideas that you have, but be mindful that you do not need to provide the solution. Describe the problem in as much detail as you can and then you will be taking advantage of your designer’s creativity and experience to provide the solution.

Following these tips will help your creative brief provide the information needed for the perfect design solution for your business. Download my creative brief worksheet to get started. And don’t worry about leaving any blank spaces. Every project is different, and your designer will be happy to talk you though the steps of a great creative brief.

You can always connect with Creatiful Studio for a free consultation.